The Nordic Watercolour Museum
25 years
5 October 2025–25 January 2026
Dazzlingly beautiful and vaguely disturbing – is perhaps one way of describing Peter Köhler’s indescribable and monstrous imagery. Different pictorial conventions are mixed in a jumble of details that sometimes interlink and sometimes float freely. There is an abundance to discover in these scenes, where the order of reality no longer applies.
Johan Thurfjell’s works are infused with craftsmanship. He paints, builds and carves wood sculptures with mechanical parts that perform simple repetitive movements. His art leads straight into big and small mysteries, oscillating between extremes such as dream and waking, life and death, light and darkness. It’s not about the actual opposites but the passages in between – a twilight zone where definitions fail, time is sealed in and people and spirits slip into each other’s domains.
Vanessa Baird has won international acclaim for her singular, picture book-inspired imagery and bold narrative style. The personal is always political in her works. She alternates deftly between monumental and intimate, between traditional and avant-garde. For many years, Baird has excelled in a kind of kitchen-sink realism, with de-romanticised renderings of everyday life from a feminist perspective. The exhibition at the museum confronts us with both the unadorned quotidian life and with an alarming interpretation of the unimaginable atrocities of war. The harrowing pictures show severed limbs, dead people, bombed places, and refugees fighting for their lives. This is a furious testament of engagement with and despair over the suffering that is going on right now before our very eyes.
Wednesdays, Saturdays & Sundays 2 pm
We offer guided tours (in Swedish) of current exhibitions every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. Join in to gain a deeper insight into the art and artists. The guided tours are free of charge, no pre-booking required. Perfect for art lovers and curious first-time visitors alike!
Read more about the guided toursSaturdays & Sundays 11 am–2 pm
In our studio, everyone is welcome to try watercolours every Saturday and Sunday from 11 am to 2 pm. Admission is free, but seats are limited. If there are no available spots when you arrive, you can visit our new workshop in the room called "Konstpausen", upstairs. There, you can explore and create with watercolour pencils.
Read more about the studioWelcome to experience Christmas at The Nordic Watercolour Museum. Take a moment for yourself and let art inspire you in a calm and cozy setting. We’ve gathered all the information you need for the holiday season.
Read more13 December at 3 pm • An atmospheric and entertaining Christmas concert where tradition meets music, presented by the Municipality of Tjörn. (Fully booked)
27 December–7 January at 11 am–3 pm • When the winter light rests softly on the landscape and the stillness allows our imaginations to flourish, we let colour take centre stage. The studio is open from 27 December to 7 January between 11 am and 3 pm, except from the days when the museum is closed.
3 January at 2–3 pm • The first guided tour of the new year will be interpreted in (Swedish) sign language! No pre-booking is required.
Welcome to The Nordic Watercolour Museum – a vibrant meeting place for art, nature, and creativity by the sea. Here, you can experience contemporary watercolour art, be inspired by our unique setting, or take part in exciting activities for all ages. All year round.
Visit the museumTHE GUEST STUDIOS are situated on Bockholmen across from the museum. The studios are primarily used for artistic development work, research and study, but may also be hired by others when available.
Would you like to visit the museum with your SCHOOL? The Nordic Watercolour Museum is an inquisitive museum that believes in the connection between art and knowledge. We actively engage in educational work through exhibitions and workshops for all ages. A visit to the museum can take many forms. As a class, you can choose to explore the museum independently or accompanied by our art educators.
The Nordic Watercolour Museum has been welcoming visitors for 25 years, but the dream of a museum dedicated to watercolour techniques goes back even further. Our HISTORY of how this meeting place for creativity, culture, and nature came to be is filled with passionate individuals, bold visions, and visitor numbers that have exceeded all expectations.
Did you know the museum has a FRIENDS ASSOCIATION? By becoming a member, you support The Nordic Watercolour Museum and join a community of art enthusiasts. Members enjoy exclusive previews of upcoming exhibitions and receive an annual pass to the museum. Additionally, the association regularly hosts its own events.
Read more about
Unlike many other museums, The Nordic Watercolour Museum does not have a permanent exhibition of works from its collection. Instead, we continuously showcase selections from it. By working solely with temporary exhibitions, we are able to present a larger portion of our collection over time. The collection is a living and vital part of the museum's activities, and you can discover more about it here on our website.
Read more about the collectionThinking about embarking on an impossible yet necessary cultural project? Here you can find support and inspiration.
Together with the network SAKS (Studies in Artistic Vision), The Nordic Watercolour Museum has published a new book containing texts meant to inspire preschool teachers, art educators, and other interested adults in exploring how the picture book can open pathways for art in children’s lives.
Svensk Bokkonst (“Swedish Book Art”) was founded with the aim of stimulating and inspiring the book industry to achieve the highest quality in the production of printed books. It has now been announced that Gunilla Bergström & Alfons Åberg, from The Nordic Watercolour Museum, has been recognised as one of this year’s most excellently produced books.
The restaurant is located in the same building as the museum, where you can enjoy food inspired by the sea, prepared in a modern Nordic style. The museum and the restaurant operate as separate entities but are united by a shared passion for the unique atmosphere of the location. The restaurant remains open even while the rest of the museum is closed. Learn more about what the restaurant has to offer on their website.
Restaurant website (in Swedish)The Nordic Watercolour Museum 25 years
Since the year 2000, The Nordic Watercolour Museum has been a place for art and creativity. We have showcased inspiring exhibitions, held courses, welcomed school groups, hosted events, and met thousands of visitors. Now, we are celebrating 25 years – and we’d love to hear your memories from 2000 to 2025. Do you have a special memory from the museum? Share it with us and become part of our anniversary celebrations!
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